Folding crate.



' Patehted- May 1, 1900. v

- a. warm. & F. .1. sum.

FOLDlNG CRATE.

(AppXioation mm m. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

V. 6. 4 i W: 1 I V mmmmunn UNITEl) STATES PATENT OFF CE.

HENRY W'ETZEL, O F ALAMEDA, AND FRANCIS JOSEPH SIT/UV, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letteri Yam N0. 648,645, dated May 1, 1900.-

- Application Med December 26,1899. Serial No. 741,593. Nb model.) I

- To all whom to "my concern: lie it known that We, HENRY WETZEL, residing at Alameda, and FRANCIS Josnrn SHAW residing in the city of Oakland, cou nty of Alameda, State of California, citizens of the United States, have invented an Improvementin Folding Crates; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. re Our invention relates to ahox, crate, or like structure and means by which it may be readily folded to occupy a small compass for transportation or storage and extended into shape as a. container and locked in its ex- 1 5 tended position.

It consists in details of construction and mechanism which will be more fully explained by reference-to theheeompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure] shows the crate opened out. 2 shows it foldedtogetherj larged cross-sectional view on the line .20: of Fig. 2.

The box or crate may be made with close 25, or open sides and of any suitahlcor desired material. In the present case we have illustrated the invention as applied to aerate made of strips of material connected-together with opens-paces between to form what is known as a crate.

The sides 2 and the ends 3 are made of any desired length and depth and are connected to vertically-disposed hinges 4. The plates 5 of which these hinges are composed are stamped out of sheet metal, with extensions at the ends, which are afterward bent over, so as to form sockets into which the sides 2 apd are forced, and they may be afterward riveted through. so as to be permanently se- 0 cured to the hingeplates. 4 Each corner is formed of plates of this description hinged together, and when it is desired to collapse the box the sides and ends are folded flat together, these hinges turning to allow of this operation.

The doors or covers 7 are made of strips similar to the sides and ends and are con nectcd together by transverse interior strips 8, which project from the inside face of the strips 7, so that thcse transverse strips form stops or ahutments against which the ends .5

Fig.

. It covers may be used. In the present case we Fig. 3 is an cnof the box close and which thus serve to main tain the box in its rectangular form and pre- .vent the hinges 4 from yielding, so that the box would get out of shape. The covers have strap-hinges 9, by which they are secured to the opposite sides of the crate, a'shere shown. a

will be understood that one or two of these have shown one upon each side. The ends of the straps which extendacroas the tops or covers project sufiiciently beyond the sides and are turned over to form loops 11', which when thecoversare closed coincide with correspondingloops 12, formed on the straps 13,whic h are fixed to the sides of the box. Thus when the cover is closed and the loops 11 and 12 are in line they are locked and secured by means here shown for the purpose is peculiarly made. It consists of a'stout rod or wire, the shank 14 of which is siidable in a guide 15, and the rod is bent first outward and then again parallel with the main portion,as shown at 16, and this part is slidable through one set of the lockingdoops it 12. The other end of the rod is bentupon itself, softhat the part l7is in line with the part 16 and is thus slidable through the lockingdoopsll l2 of the fastening at that end of the cover. Near the Strap at this end and just inside of it the rod is bent upon itself, forming a loop 18, which acts as a. handle to move the rod and mayact in conjunction with the outwardly-bent part at the opposite end to limit the distance to which the rod canhe slid 'hackward, so that the turned-over end 17 will remain engaged with the outermost loop of the strap through which it is slidahl'e. Thus when the rod is drawn back the cover eanjie opened, and when the cover has been closed to brin', the loops of the top strap in line with those of the side strap the rod can he pushed through the loops, thus locking,' the cover in place. v

As before stated, the cover may he applied 95 upon each side of the box, if desired-one opening in one direction and the other from the opposite side-mod these covers can be folded back when the box is to be collapsed, so as to lie against the outer faces of the sides 2. In this position they can be secured by latches 19, which are hinged to the edges of the covers and are Adapted to engage with the projecting edges of the straps ot the cover on the opposite side, and this will set-tire the hex or plate in its collapeed form and prevent, its being' opened Q1" sep'ru-n't'ed until it is desired to do $0.. A v 7 Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to seenre hy Lettel-s Patent, is 3' I 1. A folding crate-consisting of aides and 'emls, and vertical connecting-hinges therefor, havi ng lateral LV-prOje-Ii'ng soeket-s adapted to receive and support thendjaeent [)Ul tions of the said sides and ends.

2; In a-folding box or crate, sides and ends having vertical intermediate hinges at; each of- -tlie--:mgles,-and sockets formed integral. with said hinges nndinto 'whieh thendjacent' parts of t-he sideszand endn'arje received"and s'ecnred,n top and bottom having'trnnsrerse" interim-liars acting when elo ed. stops :igainst; which the box ,endsahnt, hinges h I which the top and bottom are tnrinihlyeoneated with the sides, and t'nste'ning by -\vhieh-they are locked to thenides opposite" Hm hinges when closed} I v It. A folding hox orcmtqeonsisung-of sides and ends made-of spgeed striparertieal'nlnteSi" at th'oinner anglcsof thehox o r crate, said plates hinged ;togefihexynlo'ng their meeting edges and having ,lnt orally-extending soekets adapted to receive and sn'fppqrt, the: end por "tions of' the strips; forming said iides and endsyarhinged:top and. bottom and hinge;

plates extending nei-oss' and projecting ho-' ,yond-t-h'o adjacentmlges of the trip and hot tom and'nide's, isnid-hinged 'plntes' having int-J terloeking loops adapted to he :rlincd,- amt =gnided slide-bolts :iglaqytedto engn'ge and in 4. 'A- folding-box or c-rnte onnistijig of side? and ends: in ade of spaeedsi ripS, \ei-t icnl plates at, the inner angles 'of the hox o'r' crate and hingedtogether alongtheir meeting edges; 3

andprovided with lnternll v -exlending socketsndnpted to reeeivennd support theend v portions of said strips, a topnnd :i hottoni sides; hinge-plates o\teInIiII g :ieI'os.-x and my hinged at. diagomilLv-opposite angles of "the and bottom, similar hinge-plates fixed to the jbmmg lieyoml the onnqsile edgesof Said too 5o sides, the meeting portions of the hinged plates being; formed with interloekingloops,

n=nd"ro d.-: guided-andnlidahle,upon the edges .0f the top and bottom and having opposite 'emls.l -e|1t and ada ted to engage said loops and thereby lot-k the hinge-plates together.

A folding box or ernte eonsisting'ot sides and ends verticnlLv hinged at the angles, the top and lmiiunt having transverse interior lnms' acting as stops against ,the ends when closed, hinges by which "said top 'andgbottom are nnited'with the diagonally-opposite an gles of the sides, the top plates of said 'hinges extending beyond-the opposite edges of the eorersn nd havi ng loops formed thereinmlates 1 iti'xedtothe sides havin}: corresponding loops i which interlock" therewith, I guided '.,slijdablo end bent. to slide thronghtihe interlocking other loops, rind @mnqin t h stop to limit the nov mentiof'thq rodgj 16. A folding lioxor 'ernt I o nsistlingbf sides *and 'ends' having-yen ienlli igos at. the imgles where-hythesides and ends inn) he collapse'rl to lie that transverselysaid hinges including lates formed integral vwith outwardly -"ex- T '1 loeking them \\'heniclosmhh snid ton and *tonr being manna ont-xrnrdljto' lie against. 1heinteriorsiu-i'aee of thesides when the box has new eollzipaed;and hmk-phttesihinge1 "totheeoy e l-.'-.\. BARKER, v a "15in" t m 

